Session Details
Session 3: Advances in Research
Abstract Number:
26
The new, revolutionary bright Watt’s nickel brightener/buffer process has resulted in the following exciting benefits:
1. Enhanced nickel metal distribution decreasing the nickel metal costs.
2. The gloss is comparable to most nickel brightener systems and in the European Union they have discovered even more brightness/higher gloss.
3. The nickel brightener system's amp hour consumption is 2-3 times less than conventional brightener systems.
Topics:
Advances & New Trends in Surface Finishes/Engineering
Advances in Surface Finishing Technology
New, revolutionary Watt’s bright nickel process that is formulated with a proprietary buffer/brightener chemistry that eliminates using boric acid for the buffer. The proprietary buffer/brightener system changes the parameters of running a Watts bright nickel process. Carboxylic acids constitute first generation of boric acid replacement, which are characterized by an excellent buffer capacity, but, unfortunately, lack the well-known leveling power of traditional bright Watt’s nickel electrolytes. It is believed that the loss of leveling results from the saturation of the co-ordinate sphere of nickel by such carboxylic acids excluding, thereby, a direct interaction of so-called brighteners and levelers with Watt’s nickel. These advancements in the parameters change the resulting Watts bright nickel bath in brightness/gloss, metal distribution, and handling of contamination concerns. The proprietary buffer system drives the process working synergistically with the proprietary brightener system. The new process is proven in production for rack and barrel processes in the European Union and is manufactured in Switzerland. This new proprietary buffer for Watt's bright nickel processes has not been evaluated in semi-bright nickel nor microporous nickel. The proprietary buffer system works extremely well in sulfamate nickel processes resulting in some of the same advancements as in the Watt’s bright nickel process.